Walter Filmer at his home at Toronto and one of his x-ray images. Photos from the Scholey-Upfold collection, Newcastle University Special Collections.
Walter Filmer, x-ray pioneer and polymath
In the later years of the 19th century science enthusiasts all over the world were captivated by the mysteries and possibilities of electricity and magnetism. Few imagined, I suppose, that their experiments with batteries, magnetos and other pieces of equipment were steps on a path that would soon lead humans to discover how to tear matter apart and use the unimaginable power of the energy they liberated to incinerate tens of thousands of other people. These early experimenters pottered about in their laboratories - often in their homes - solving riddles, creating more riddles for others…
